


Masquerade

by nerdypipsqueak



Series: My Soul and Yours [8]
Category: Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Seven Pillars of Wisdom - T. E. Lawrence
Genre: Crossdressing, Light Angst, M/M, Spying, unrequited Ali/Lawrence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:48:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21807703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdypipsqueak/pseuds/nerdypipsqueak
Summary: Lawrence has his craziest idea yet. Ali is not impressed.Set in the "My Soul and Yours" universe.Written for this drabble challenge: https://jaclynhyde.tumblr.com/post/102205666083/drabbles-send-me-characters-and-a-promptThe prompt was "X me" and was chosen by Farron.
Relationships: Ali ibn el Kharish/T. E. Lawrence, Faisal I of Iraq/T. E. Lawrence
Series: My Soul and Yours [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1515092
Comments: 15
Kudos: 10





	Masquerade

**Author's Note:**

> This episode was mentioned in Seven Pillars of Wisdom. There is a photo of Lawrence in women's clothes, I believe it was published in Robert Payne's book, you can see the picture here: https://66.media.tumblr.com/7c3ace0837f9d22d02fd78cb6f494c04/768f42a4225255b6-83/s640x960/7e28bdaff4f16cf9e8f9ebe0ae03d8a75b53a292.jpg  
> I called the robe a boshiya but I'm not 100% sure that's accurate, if it's not please let me know so I can correct it.  
> The Ali in this story is Ali of the Harith, NOT Ali, brother of Feisal.

When Lawrence mentions using prostitutes as spies and decoys Ali laughs. It's a ridiculous idea and a dangerous one. A prostitute is just that: all it takes is a higher bidder.

Feisal seems to think the idea is brilliant, he pays the women generously and then watches, amused, as they help Lawrence dress in the customary veils and coverings.

"What do you think, Ali?" Lawrence asks, voice muffled by the borrowed boshiya. "Will this work?"

"If you keep your big mouth shut you will be fine." Ali tells him. The Englishman just squeezes his arm and heads off to the join the women.

Within an hour of their departure Feisal becomes restless, pacing and chain-smoking. Not that Ali can blame him, Lawrence has little regard for his own health and life. Now that he's out there, in a heavily garrisoned town, with no one to keep an eye on him, God only knows what might happen.  
Lawrence's loss would be a massive blow to the Revolt, to Feisal and to Ali too. One they might never recover from.

They return after a few hours, breathless, windswept, giggling like fools. The women go straight back to their own camp, except for the tallest one, who sets about helping Lawrence out of his disguise, Feisal hovering anxiously nearby.

"How did your little masquerade go?" Ali asks, just as anxious.

"Marvellously. I had a look at the garrison, I'll draw a map later. We had a bit of a run-in with a Turkish patrol, nothing we couldn't handle." Lawrence says casually.

"What do you mean you had a bit of a run-in?!" Feisal grabs him by the shoulders, turning him around so they're facing one another.

"We were... propositioned." Lawrence goes red in the face, endearingly embarrassed.

"What were you expecting, going there with someone like me?" The tall woman laughs. "I'm going back to mine now. If you need anything you know where to find me, sweetie."

"I shouldn't have agreed to this." Feisal sighs, exasperated. His eyes are soft with tenderness though and so are Lawrence's. They remain like that more a good minute, before disappearing into the prince's tent.

They can speak without words, communicating with glances, with the subtlest of gestures, it's beautiful to watch. Ali once thought, hoped he could have something like this with Lawrence. 

But the glances, the gestures, the smiles leave no doubt as to who holds the Englishman's heart.

Ali doesn't have time to dwell. He mounts his camel and rides off to make sure the Turks haven't decided to follow Lawrence's little party back to their camp.


End file.
